Koalas are pictured everywhere in Australia-on cleaning products, on “boxes of chocolate, on sports team shirts. Yet the animals live only in pockets along the east coast.
They once inhabited the entire coastline. The koala population dropped after farmers cut down many of the forests where koalas lived, and hunters killed the animals for their fur.
By the early 1900s, “koalas were basically shot out of south Australia,” says ecologist Bill Ellis, who studies the relationships among living things and their environments.
I recently joined Ellis and his team in a forest on St Bees Is land, 19 miles off the northeastern coast of Australia, with eight other volunteers. The island is a natural laboratory, yielding findings that may help protect koalas elsewhere on the continent.
The volunteers searched the island for koalas in the blue gum trees. When we found a koala, we gathered information about the trees in the area.
Blue gum is a species of the eucalyptus tree in which the funny leaf eaters spend most of their time. Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, and their leaves are the main food source for koalas. Although koalas can walk on the ground, they are better suited for life in the canopy, the high cover of branches and leaves in a forest.
What has Ellis’s research told him so far? The population of St Bees seems to be healthy. Yet Ellis wonders whether the koalas might be heading for hard times. The island is overrun with wild goats, and Ellis thinks the goats are eating the small blue gum trees.
Without those trees, the koalas will run out of food in the future. Ellis hopes more research will help him understand how to protect the blue gum trees-and the koalas that depend on them. “I think that’s what everyone is trying to do-to make a difference.” Ellis says.
59. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that     .
A. koalas’ pictures can be found everywhere in the world
B. koalas in Australia like to eat chocolate
C. only in the east coast of Australia can you find koalas
D. you can buy the pictures of koalas only in the east coast of Australia
60. Which of the following is TRUE about koalas?
A. They usually hide in a cave.     B. They feed on the leaves of blue gum trees.
C. They prefer to walk on the ground.  D. They don’t adapt to the high cover of branches.
61. What will Ellis most probably start to do next?
A. To keep the population of St Bees healthy.
B. To kill all the goats on the island.
C. To find some new foods for goats.
D. To protect blue gum trees for koalas.
62. The purpose of writing this passage is to      .
A. expect people to concern about the life of koalas
B. record trip to Australia for watching koalas
C. present some basic knowledge of koalas’ life
D. introduce the ecosystem of wildlife in Australia

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

A

When I worked in Swaziland, one day we went to an orphanage. There we found a beautiful little girl named Tanzile. I gave her a sweet and she said something back to me in Si-swati, which the nurse next to me translated, “She wants another one — to give to her little sister.” I said “of course”. When we were going to leave, we passed by Tanzile’s house to say goodbye. To our surprise she seemed to be holding on to that extra sweet I had given her. I remember saying to the nurse “this little darling is clever — she has taken two for herself.”

But the nurse told us, “Tanzile is 7 now. Two years ago her mum and dad both died of AIDS. She was separated from her sister who was three at the time. Tanzile has not laid eyes on her since. But from then on whenever Tanzile receives anything from anyone, including food — she refuses to accept it, unless they give her two.” In fact, in the little mud hut where she lives, we find a pile of old things which she has been collecting to give to her sister one day.

People sometimes look at faces of African children and think that they are somehow different from our kids — that somehow they don’t feel pain or love. But that is not true. Their pain is deep. And so is their love. I can still remember the nurse trying to convince her that “if someone gives you food, you must accept it — even if it is only one piece and not two — for your own health.” And it was so hard for us to keep the tears from our eyes as she shook her head. Her hope and her love was all that she had. It mattered more than anything else. When I returned home that day, I was shocked to find that this was not an isolated story but others in the hospital knew of orphans just like Tanzile — waiting with a little pile of things in their hut, for their lovers who they haven’t seen so long.

I think of that old song — “when we’re hungry, love will keep us alive.”

56． From the passage we can learn Tanzile__________.

A. is very clever        B. knows her sister has died

C. has stored a lot for her sister       D. doesn’t like sweets

57． How old was her sister when the author met with Tanzile?

A. Three years old.    B. Four years old.

C. Five years old.     D. Six years old.

58． What has the author learned from her experience in Africa?

A. Love is more important in life than anything else.

B. African children are different in a way.

C. African children should be treated fairly.

D. We should express our love in time.

59． The best title for the passage would be __________

A. Give every child two sweets      B. Tanzile’s love for her sister

C. One for my sister               D. Change your attitude to African children

Two weeks before Christmas，Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday.Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town.They had no electricity or running water and__1__what I considered the “good things” in life.They__2__made no plans for Christmas.When Christmas Eve arrived，Mom told me in her “I-mean-it” voice to__3__all the decorations(装饰物)from our tree.She packed those up，__4__all the trimmings(配料)for a __5__turkey dinner.

Christmas morning__6__perfectly，with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow.__7__I sulked(生气)silently in the backseat of the car as we made our__8__to grandma's.This was going to be the __9__Christmas ever!

Grandma was__10__to see us as we walked up to her door.“What on earth are you doing here？”she stammered.“We weren't expecting__11__.It's Christmas，and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you.”“I knew__12__.”Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table.“That's__13__we brought one with us.”“We__14__have a tree，”Mom insisted.“__15__，what will we do with all these decorations？”

Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit.He called me to join him，and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods.Soon the house __16__fresh and piney as we decorated the tree，and the day__17__a festive air.The turkey dinner was very good，too.I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was forgotten__18__Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming(燃烧的)pudding! “Merry Christmas，Mother，”Mom said.“Dear me！” Grandma gasped.“I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.”Tears of__19__filled her eyes.

I could not keep the tears__20__my eyes，either.I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever—she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

1．A.prepared 　 B．lacked C．refused D．desired

2．A.also 　 B．still C．never 　 D．hardly

3．A.replace 　　 B．collect C．remove D．show

4．A.instead of B．by the side of C．along with 　 D．in spite of

5．A.normal 　　 B．complete C．fresh 　　 D．separate

6．A.dawned 　　 B．passed C．broke 　 D．happened

7．A.But 　 B．So C．And 　　 D．Then

8．A.decision 　　 B．way C．wish 　　 D．plan

9．A.last 　 B．busiest C．best 　　 D．worst

10．A.expected B．eager C．surprised 　　 D．ready

11．A.anyone 　　 B．others C．someone 　　 D．no one

12．A.you B．it C．that 　　　 D．this

13．A.how B．why C．where 　 D．when

14．A.may B．will C．can 　　　 D．must

15．A.Meanwhile 　　 B．ThereforeC．However 　　 D．Otherwise

16．A.improved B．smelled C．became D．changed

17．A.showed up 　　 B．carried on

18．A.until B．after C．because D．unless

19．A.sadness 　 B．joy C．regret 　 D．worry

20．A.inside 　　 B．back C．into 　　　 D．from

完形填空（共20小题，每小题1分，满分20分）

    阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I went to Beijing this National holiday, and it was an interesting experience of my life.

My friends told us the taking the “hard  31 ” to Beijing would be really terrible. So we didn’t know what to   32 . But we were pleasantly surprised when we finally boarded the   33 , which was relatively modern and  34 . During the 14-hour ride we ate peanuts and talked. It was not  35 at all.

It was morning when we arrived. We stepped out of the railway station, having sat in hard seats and not getting much  36 . However, we had energy. First we tried to get return tickets to Shanghai, but the ticket seller  37  us that tickets would not be on  38  for another two days. We were a little worried about getting  39 , but we made up our minds to   40  for the hotel to put our bags down. After 41  our way past the “gypsy” taxi drivers that tried to  42  us 100 yuan for the ride, we found a taxi and it  43  cost us 30 yuan to get   44 we had planned to go. When we reached the hotel, there was a   45  for airplane and train tickets. Somehow the man behind the counter could get tickets that day, which we   46 . The most important lesson about China I ever  47  is to get someone to do your work for you, and it seems to work out much   48 . We were not able to get tickets, but the travel agents could.

While in Beijing we saw a lot of places of   49 ,  most of which were very  50 . It was fun to be with thousands of people in one place. There aren’t any words to describe it.

A. chair          B. bed          C. seat         D. bench

A. provide     B. expect           C. happen       D. think

A. plane          B. bus          C. ship         D. train

A. quick           B. clean            C. simple           D. long

A. bad            B. good         C. easy         D. happy36. A. trouble      B. food         C. sleep           D. help

A. asked          B. informed     C. advised      D. persuaded

A. time            B. show         C. duty         D. sale

A. behind     B. out          C. through      D. back

A. start           B. ask          C. see          D. pay

A. passing        B. seeing           C. looking      D. fighting

A. offer          B. charge           C. bargain      D. share

A. even            B. still            C. also         D. only

A. what           B. which            C. where            D. how

A. window     B. seat         C. chair            D. wood

A. wouldn’t       B. couldn’t        C. shouldn’t       D. needn’t

A. learned        B. taught           C. offered      D. heard

A. harder      B. earlier          C. later            D. easier

A. interests      B. interested       C. interest     D. interesting

A. interesting        B. crowded      C. famous       D. noisy

It is three in the morning on a Tuesday, and I’m walking toward table eighteen, the one I call home. I pass the waiters, give a brief nod to the  【小题1】  and take my seat. I  【小题2】  the “usual,” water and peanut butter pie. Yes, I’m at an all-night diner.
I start to take out my books,  【小题3】 full well that I will be  【小题4】 on the same page of Socrates that I’ve been on for the better part of the semester. Of course, it’s   【小题5】  —for my group that is. I wait for the empty chairs around me to be   【小题6】  .
Just as the Muzak songs start to repeat themselves, Shana and Jenny walk in. I am   【小题7】   with the usual big hugs and smiles. 【小题8】 , the diner stops being a twenty-for-hour restaurant with bad service and becomes my place—my home   【小题9】 the prisonlike dorm room. For the next couple of hours, we will joke about people we know, talk about books, reflect on the meaning of life, quote movies and  【小题10】 new private jokes. Table number eighteen is our  【小题11】  home.
During my senior year of college, I started going to the diner for a temporary escape from a dorm room that felt like it was closing in on me. Not to 【小题12】  the phones, the stereo and the computer. How could anyone seriously  【小题13】   to have good study habits? Some friends of mine told me about the place; they went there to study, and they really liked it.
So I tried it. It felt remarkably freeing. I start going there every night (except weekends, of course), and, believe me it was not because the pies were   【小题14】  great either. Maybe it would force me to open my books and my  【小题15】  would improve. Right? Well….
But that’s not the   【小题16】 . I mean, anyone who has gone to college knows that it’s not only about forcing yourself to wake up at 7:45 A.M. (after you had gone to sleep two hours earlier) to listen to a professor spoon-feeding you information  【小题17】 the significance of the Battle of Hastings. It is  【小题18】 about finding a little haven where you can create what will be the most important thing in your life—yourself. At a school of thirty-five thousand people, I found a small place that was as   【小题19】 to me as my Social Security number.
Through laughter, tears, learning, growing and the   【小题20】 free ice cream, we found a sanctuary. A place where we could be ourselves.